INFOGRAPHIC – Celery Juice: Does it live up to the hype?  

It’s been dubbed a “cure-all”, a “miraculous superfood”, and, according to the originator of the global healing movement, “the most powerful medicine of our time.” The magical drink that supporters claim solve a myriad of health benefits is celery juice.

Millions across the nation are consuming 16 ounces of pure celery juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to heal acne, lose weight, cure chronic illnesses and receive other purported health benefits from the concoction.  But does it live up to the hype?

“There are many health benefits of consuming celery with minimal potential detriments, and if you have the time and resources to make this a part of your daily routine, I don’t have strong evidence to tell you not to,” says Elise Thompson, one of HCA Healthcare’s resident experts on nutrition. “However, do not look to this trend as a magic fix for chronic illnesses.”

Elise Thompson is a registered dietitian and diabetes educator at HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Centennial Medical Center.

“While there are many testimonies who claim to ‘feel better’ after incorporating celery juice into their daily routine, there is little tangible evidence-based literature to support the originator’s prodigious health claims,” added the registered dietitian at affiliate TriStar Centennial Medical Center.

For more on the pros and cons of celery juice, check out the infographic and stats below with help from Thompson.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Celery juice is packed with vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin K – important for liver synthesis of prothrombin, a blood clotting factor
• Folate – functions in the synthesis and repair of DNA as well as the formation of red and white blood cells in the bone marrow
• Vitamin A – vision, cell surface function growth and development, an antioxidant, immune functions, and reproduction
• Potassium – maintaining water balance, osmotic equilibrium, acid-base balance, and regulation of neuromuscular activity
• Vitamin C – synthesis of collagen and carnitine, an antioxidant, aids in iron absorption

Celery Juice is chock-full of antioxidants:

Antioxidants are compounds that help counteract the damaging effect of free radicals in the body (the kinds that cause cancer or other oxidative damage). Celery contains both Vitamin A and C that help offset oxidative stress, an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body.

Celery juice has a low caloric content

Eight ounces of celery juice has about 42 calories, 9 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein. Due to celery’s low-calorie content, this habit can fit very easily into a standard 2,000 calorie per day diet.

Celery juice is a great source of hydration

Drinking 16 ounces first thing in the morning and that’s a quarter of the way to the general 64 ounces per day hydration recommendation. All before you even have breakfast.

THE UGLY

Juicing removes fiber

Part of what makes celery so healthy is the fiber. When juicing foods, this removes all the fibers that help serve as prebiotics to feed the healthy gut bacteria, support cardiovascular health, and promote regular bowel movements.

No medical-based evidence to support radical health claims

Anthony Williams, the originator of the global celery juice movement, identifies himself as a “Medical Medium,” but admits he has neither a medical degree nor training to support the health claims of his celery juice benefits. When searching for scholarly articles to bolster his health claims, this offers little to no promising supporting research.

Time-consuming

Preparing: Unfortunately, celery juice cannot be batch-made in advance. Williams claims that in order to receive the full health benefit of celery juice, the drink must be consumed shortly after being juiced; otherwise, the drink loses some of its health benefits.

Cleaning: Standard home juicers have several pieces to disassemble and wash. Some of them are dishwasher safe, but most of these must be hand-washed and this process can take anywhere from two to ten minutes.

Expense

Celery is about $1.50 to $2.00 per stalk, depending on if it is organic or not, and it takes a whole stalk of celery to yield 16 ounces of celery juice. This can add up to a $547.00 to $730.00 per year investment to sustain the daily 16-ounce celery juice consumption. This may be insignificant to some, but difficult to financially maintain for others.

Individuals interested in testing the new trend, as always, discuss with your healthcare provider first. If you have any allergies such as birch or dandelion or are taking any medications such as sedative medications or levothyroxine it’s important to make sure celery will not cause an adverse reaction.